Press release: HOME RUN

CPT SECURES JERWOOD FUNDING FOR HOME RUN AS PART OF REFRESHED ARTIST SUPPORT PROGRAMME

Camden People’s Theatre is delighted to announce Home Run, a new scheme supporting early career artists making the transition from work-in-progress to full production, made possible thanks to the generous support of Jerwood Charitable Foundation.

Home Run will support three innovative theatre projects over three years (2016 – 2018). Each will be cultivated from R&D and work-in-progress programmes either at CPT or other venues, culminating in a run at CPT. Jerwood Charitable Foundation funding will enable CPT to support these companies with mentoring, dramaturgy, rehearsal space, business planning, fundraising and marketing, and, crucially, with the costs of making the show. The first production as part of the scheme will be part of CPT’s Spring 2017 season.

The scheme is part of the wider programme of artist support activity CPT will deliver in its second year as a National Portfolio Organisation.

Following the success of the first round of BAME seed commissions in Spring 2016, awarded to Highrise Theatre, Rachael Young and Caleb Oluwafemi, CPT will offer at least six seed commissions for artists from BAME backgrounds during 16/17 for the creation of new scratch performances. Each artist or company will receive £750, as well as rehearsal space and mentoring from the CPT team. Where possible, CPT seeks to support shows to full production.

Barrel Organ and Sh!t Theatre continue their role as CPT Associate Artists into 16/17. In Spring Barrel Organ curates a series of scratch nights, and Sh!t Theatre’s hit Woman’s Hour returns, with more activity from the companies later in the year.

CPT is also exploring ways of improving skills exchange and knowledge sharing between venues dedicated to supporting theatre makers at the start of their careers. As part of this activity, in May CPT partners with BAC on All Tomorrow’s Theatre, an event that brings together early-career artists from across the UK, along with the venues and producers that support them. The day will feature work-in-progress sharings from a selection of artists curated by ARC Stockton, Derby Theatre, National Theatre of Wales and Nuffield Theatre. It will also shine a light on artist support initiatives nationwide, prompting discussions exploring the philosophy and practise of artist support.

“We’re excited to announce the launch of our new Home Run initiative, created to address a gap in the provision of support for artists to bridge the gap between work-in-progress and full production. How many great shows never get beyond work-in-progress stage, find themselves ‘scratching’ to death – or lose all their impetus in the scrabble for funding, commissions, and weeks here and there of in-kind rehearsal space? Now, Home Run is here to help. It’s part of a package of new and renewed artist support mechanisms designed by, with and for artists at CPT and beyond – one which includes All Tomorrow’s Theatre, a one-off event intended to explore the idea, and the culture, of artist support nationwide – and by doing so, to improve it.” – Brian Logan, Artistic Director, Camden People’s Theatre

‘We are delighted to support CPT’s Home Run programme over the next three years. Too often independent performance makers have to piece together support from venues and funders to realise their ideas; a long, slow, hard process which can demoralise and affect the quality of the work. This is a brilliant chance to work with the generous and dedicated CPT team, concertedly over a period of time, and we are looking forward to seeing how this offer is embraced.’ – Jon Opie, General Manager, Jerwood Charitable Foundation

Camden People’s Theatre is a central London space dedicated year-round to supporting early-career artists – particularly those making work about issues that matter to people right now. Its mission is to refresh and strengthen the performance sector with a new generation of artists who bring a fresh perspective to contemporary concerns, and create new artistic forms with which to address them; and to present their work to a new generation of audiences.

Jerwood Charitable Foundation is dedicated to imaginative and responsible revenue funding of the arts, supporting artists to develop and grow at important stages in their careers. It works with artists across art forms, from dance and theatre to literature, music and the visual arts. For more information on Jerwood Charitable Foundation visit: www.jerwoodcharitablefoundation.org